One of the highlights of Samsung's Galaxy Note II announcement at IFA yesterday was the increased functionality carried by the device's hallmark S Pen stylus. The Note II's version of the Pen, besides being "ergonomically designed for the perfect grip," allows users to quickly clip, crop, and edit screen content, adding further illustration and handwritten keyword recognition. The Pen now also features a unique "hover" functionality, whereby an app can recognize that the Pen is near the screen and react accordingly with contextual menus or other activities.

Looking to put the power of the S Pen to use in more than just Sammy's own apps, the manufacturer has posted the updated S Pen SDK version 2.2 with all of the Pen's new features. Here's a full look:

New/Updated in S Pen SDK 2.2

NEW UX Scenario: Let your app interact with the S Pen while hovering over the GALAXY Note

Special Effects; 33 types of Image Effects including the Scratch Effect

Images from SCanvasView can be cut/copied/pasted using Clipboard

Besides enticing developers with the S Pen's new features, Samsung also reminds readers that their Smart App Challenge, an app-creating contest with prizes up to $200,000, is still open for entries until September 30th. For more information and to download the new SDK, just hit the link below.